U.S. Federal Government Information
The United States collects and produces information and statistics on a wide variety of topics that explore and impact American life. With the goal of creating a more informed citizenry and an improved quality of life, the federal government mandates that this information be freely and permanently provided to its citizens.
The Federal Depository Library Program ensures this access, utilizing a network of digital and physical collections across the United States. The UC Davis Library is a member of the depository network, with its official government holdings openly accessible to the public. Online and paper copies in our collection can be found in the library catalog.
This guide introduces users to the most useful databases and websites for finding U.S. government information, but you can contact the librarians listed on this guide for any additional assistance you may need.
Where to Start
The United States offers a few search engines to aid in accessing government information, depending on the kind of information you are after, and whether that information is for personal education or for academic use. These are great places to start. As you look through your search results, make note of which government agency or department is responsible for producing and disseminating the information you need, as their own website may provide additional context or information. Learning the publication schedules and depository requirements of these agencies may be useful as well.
- USA.govUSA.gov is the official website of the U.S. government. The bilingual, interagency site provides comprehensive access to government information and services. Here one can browse by topic, connect directly to government agencies, or search across agencies and departments.
- GOVINFOGOVINFO provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. It is a service of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO), an agency in the legislative branch.
- Data.govData.gov provides public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. Data.gov has descriptions of the Federal datasets (metadata), information about how to access the datasets, and tools that leverage government datasets.
- Science.govGateway to over 50 million pages of authoritative selected science information provided by U.S. government agencies, including research and development results.
- data.census.gov This link opens in a new windowCensus Bureau Data (data.census.gov) provides demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau through a central website.
- Virtual CD-ROM/Floppy Disk Library (Indiana University) This link opens in a new windowThis website provides public access and preservation services for the nearly 5,000 CD-ROMs, DVDs, and floppy disks distributed through the Federal Depository Library Program since the 1980s. These media consist of millions of individual data files on economics, the environment, population, and life and physical sciences. This resource is also indexed in WorldCat.
Laws, Legislation and Regulations
- Congress.gov This link opens in a new windowCongress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. providing complete legislative information for members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.
- ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
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Provides detailed indexing from 1789 forwards for publications of Congress: documents, reports, hearings. Modules include: Proquest Congressional digital U.S. Congressional hearings collection from 1824-1979; and Digital U.S. Bills and Resolutions from 1789-present. Full text for congressional committee documents and reports is included from 1990 to current. Selected hearing testimony and transcripts are available from 1988. Congressional Research Service Reports module included from 2004-2010. For full text historical serial set (committee documents & reports) from 1817-1980 see U.S. Congressional Serial Set by Readex. Formerly titled LexisNexis Congressional.
[Coverage: dates vary] - U.S. Congressional Serial Set This link opens in a new windowFull text Congressional committee reports and documents originally published in the Serial Set from the 15th through the 96th Congresses, 1817-1980. Also includes the American State Papers (a retrospective collection of materials originating from 1789 through 1838 but published in the second quarter of the 19th century). The U.S. Congressional Serial Set is the bound, sequentially numbered set of volumes of all the Reports, Documents and Journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Many early agency reports were published originally in congressional editions. The Serial Set constitutes an incomparably rich collection of primary source material on all aspects of American history and government.
[Coverage: 1817-1980, with American State Papers 1789-1838] - Nexis Uni (Formerly LexisNexis) This link opens in a new windowOne of the largest web-based full-text databases for current news, business and legal information, supporting a broad range of interdisciplinary research, Nexis Uni (known until December 2017 as LexisNexis Academic) provides full-text access to nearly 6,000 individual titles. Includes a wide range of U.S. and foreign newspapers, plus transcripts of television and radio news programs. Business resources include business articles, accounting literature, company financial information. Legal resources include state and federal laws and regulations, a full range of case law, and law review articles.
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowFull-text database of US legal periodicals. Includes the following sections: Law Journal Library (Comprised of Most-Cited Law Journals, Core U.S. Law Journals and International & Non-U.S. Law Journals); Federal Register Library (1936-1989); U.S. Supreme Court Library; and Treaties and Agreements Library, the Statutes at Large (1789-), U.S. Code (1924-)
[Coverage: Volume 1- Volume preceding current year] - Congress.gov [Treaties] This link opens in a new windowCongress.gov tracks treaties through the Senate. Unlike bills, which die at the end of a congress if they have not received final disposition, treaties remain in or are re-referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations at the end of each congress until the Senate has completed action by agreeing to the resolution of advice and consent to ratification or by returning the treaty document to the President.
- Congressional Research Service (CRS)Search CRS reports. The Congressional Research Service serves as shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. CRS experts assist at every stage of the legislative process — from the early considerations that precede bill drafting, through committee hearings and floor debate, to the oversight of enacted laws and various agency activities.
- Congressional Budget Office (CBO)Search CBO reports. The Congressional Budget Office was established under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to provide objective, nonpartisan information that would support the budget process. CBO's mission is to help the Congress make effective budget and economic policy.
- CQ Press Library/Political Reference Suite This link opens in a new windowCongressional Quarterly (CQ) Electronic Library includes many resources for the study of current and historical congressional and American government issues. The CQ Researcher is an invaluable source of background information on topical issues since 1991. The Global Researcher is similar to CQ Researcher but with an international orientation. CQ Weekly Report, available starting in 1983, reports in depth on congressional activities and political developments. Also included is the Politics in America, with information about members of congress and their districts. Additional online books are excellent references about U.S. politics, voting, congress and government.
- Regulations.govRegulations.gov is your source for information on the development of Federal regulations and other related documents issued by the U.S. government. Through this site, you can find, read, and comment on regulatory issues that are important to you.
- The Constitution of the United States of AmericaThe Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation provides a legal analysis and interpretation of the United States Constitution based on a comprehensive review of Supreme Court case law and, where relevant, historical practices that have defined the text of the Constitution. This regularly updated resource is written in "plain English" and useful for a wide audience: from constitutional scholars to those just beginning to learn about the nation's most important legal document.
- The Supreme Court of the United StatesOfficial site of the US Supreme Court. Search opinions, orders, arguments, dockets, and more.
The US President
- Public Papers of the Presidents This link opens in a new windowThe Office of the Federal Register (OFR) began publishing the Public Papers of the Presidents series in 1957 as an official publication of United States Presidents' public writings, addresses, and remarks. Volumes for Presidents Hoover through Clinton (excluding Roosevelt) are under this call number. Indexes for each administration issued under title: The cumulated indexes to The public papers of the Presidents of the United States. Shields Library J80 .A2
- The White HouseOfficial White House site presents issue positions, news, Cabinet, appointments, offices and major speeches. Includes biography, video tour and photo essays.
- Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections This link opens in a new windowProvides election results for the major and minor candidates for the U.S. President from 1789 through 2012. Individual year pages include candidates, parties, popular and electoral vote totals, maps, charts, and voter turnout (1932-2012).
Federal Documents at Peter. J. Shields Library
The UC Davis Library is a Selective Federal Depository Library. As such, Peter J. Shields Library has a large collection of historical and current documents. While US government documents are received in paper copy, and increasing number of government documents may only be available via US Government web sites. US government documents, both in paper copy and online, are represented in the Library catalog.
Paper government publications in the Peter J. Shields Library are mainly located on the lower level in the Government Information closed stacks collection. They can be retrieved and checked out whenever the library is open. Publications located in the Government Information stacks can be identified by the “Doc” in front of the call number that you’ll find in the catalog. Please ask at the first floor Information Desk when an assistant is available; at other times ask at the Peter J, Shields Library Circulation Services to have a staff member retrieve a known document by call number.